goodnight talk
by pixy
Summary: little ezra with a little fluffy teddy bear...and the 6 lawmen who take care of him
1. goodnight talk

Title: Goodnight Talk  
  
Author: PixyDust  
  
Comments to: sing61mg@yahoo.com  
  
Archive: yes  
  
Disclaimer: they don't belong to me! Really! I'm just barrowing them for fun.  
  
AU: Ezra and his teddy  
  
The little five year old boy around the interior of the stagecoach. He was not tall enough to look out of the window on his own. "Mama!" he said trying to point something out to her. Maude Standish looked down at her little boy.  
  
"Be quiet Ezra. What have I told you?" He looked down at his lap.  
  
"No takin when mama's working." She smiled a chilly smile at him.  
  
"That's right." And again focused her attention on snagging the man who had caught her eye, ignoring the child beside her.  
  
After flirting for a while, the man struck up a conversation with the beautiful southern lady; he looked distastefully at the child and Maude was quick to reassure the man that he was not her child. She was just taking care of the poor dear until she can get him back to where he belonged in the next stop.  
  
Ezra's tummy growled at him. He was hungry. He only ate half a sandwich yesterday but he didn't wanna be a bad boy. His mommy was busy right now. He's not supposed to be a burden.  
  
The gentlemen helped Maude out of the stagecoach at the stop of in the town of Four Corners, stating that he was also going to catch the next one home. "Would you please have dinner with me, my lady? After you" glare at Ezra, "get rid of the child." Maude blushed; she had it down to an art, and accepted.  
  
Ezra looked around at all the tall people and horses, not noticing that he had just walked into the path several horses bearing down on him. Someone noticed though and Ezra was quickly swept off of his feet and carried out of harms way. Ezra looked into the clear blue eyes of the one who saved him. "Damn Lit'le pard. Ya coulda been hurt!"  
  
"Sir, unhand my child." Buck looked at the pretty lady bearing down at them.  
  
"Ma'am. He could have been hurt."  
  
"I assure you Sir, that I know how to raise my own child." She snatched at Ezra's little arm and dragged him away. He had to run to keep from being dragged. Buck watched them go. Some women shouln'ta have any young.  
  
Little Ezra P. Standish sat on the bed, ready to go to sleep, and listening to his mama. "Don't you ever listen? I have told you time and time again, stay out of trouble and out of sight!" She shook his little frame. "You will do better next time." And released him, a signal for him to go to bed.  
  
Ezra wiggled under the sheets, waiting for his goodnight kiss but instead heard the tread of footsteps and the closing and locking of the door. He sighed. His kiss didn't come anymore and it was all his fault. It was fault that daddy got tired and went to sleep with red sauce all over him and never got up again.  
  
He got out of bed and went to his little bag and pulled out a stuff bear. His daddy made it out of bunnies and cotton so he can have a forever pet. He went back into bed.  
  
"I wuv you daddy." Ezra told the teddy.  
  
"I wuv you Ezwa." He answered for the teddy, pretending it was daddy. "I alwaze wuv you Ezwa P. Now kiss daddy." He kissed the furry animal and hugged it close and fell asleep, a tear falling down his soft little cheek. 


	2. where's mommy?

Title: Where's Mommy?  
  
Author: PixyDust  
  
Comments to: sing61mg@yahoo.com  
  
Sequel to "Goodnight Talk"  
  
AU: Ezra and his teddy. Closed for now.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own it and I don't have any money!!!!!!!  
  
"There you are my dear." The man Maude had snagged the day before accosted her. Damn. She thought. I had hoped to wake earlier then this. "Are you ready to go?" She grimace to herself yet nodded that of course she was ready to leave this hovel of a town.  
  
As the gentleman helped her into the stagecoach she thought about her son and felt a pang of guilt but steeled herself. Her boy knew how to survive and she was sure he could do so alone. She had taught him well. She had. She pushed any feeling of doubt away as the stagecoach left the town and never looked back.  
  
* * * *  
  
Little Ezra snuggled closer to his warm furry teddy, having a nice dream where his daddy let him ride his horse. He felt so big cuz everything was so small from up there but his daddy who hugged him from behind. He heard a ringing laugh and looked over at mommy. She was happy again. She loved him again.  
  
Safe in his little dream world, he slept away the morning and his mommy in the real world left him behind. But Ezra wasn't in the waking world yet and so he was happy.  
  
A few hours later he was frightened awake by a heavy banging at the door. "Hey you in there!" yelled the scary voice. "Get out! If ya aint out by one then ya get ta spend time in the jail ya bum."  
  
Ezra hid in his covers and shook until he was sure the scary man was gone. He then stuck his head out and looked at how bright the sun is. He turned to his teddy. "Pudgy. Mommy's late!" Ezra told his teddy. He had to find his mommy. With that thought he packed his teddy up, the only thing he took out of his bag. "Mommy say we gonna leave." Ezra carefully unlocked the door, standing on his toe, and carefully looked outside the door. When he didn't see anyone he walk out of the hotel and carefully extracted himself from the place. Once outside, Ezra had a mission. He had to find his mommy. So he set out to walk along the town, searching for the familiar vision on his mommy, ignoring his grumbly tummy.  
  
Vin set back to Four Corners, having been away for a while, wondering what was happening back there…  
  
Buck sat in the Saloon, thinking about the little boy he had saved yesterday and the boy's ma. He'd seen the woman leave but was wondering were the boy had been…  
  
Ezra still walked around town; getting teary-eyed cuz he was coming to the conclusion that his mommy was gone. He was tired, hot, and hungry. He went into the alley for the shade and saw the wagon just sitting there.  
  
Ezra, being naturally curious went into the wagon and saw the nice blankets and his tiredness hit him hard. He needed his nappy and he hadn't had his yet but he was hungry. He started to snuggle into the blankets and felt a crinkle. Ezra pulled it out and his eyes widened. Food. He pulled the jerky out and quickly demolished it, taking the edge off his hunger. With that done he took his teddy out of his bag and snuggled into the blankets, taking his nappy in Vin's home.  
  
The end 


	3. Ezwa P. Dandish?!

"You didn't have to kill him." The unwashed man wined at the man in gray and winced as said man growled at him.  
  
"I wouldn'ta had ta kill him if the idiot had gotten the kid and that darn stuffed mounda fur." The unwashed one grumbled to himself about the unfairness of life as they follow the trail of one Maude Standish.  
  
* * *  
  
Little Ezra started awake as someone climbed into his nappy area. He looked out from under his little mountain of blankets and saw the dusty man. He saw the look in the man's face. Ezwa in twouble? Was his thought as he cuddled his Pudgy to himself.  
  
Vin was frightened near to death when a head popped out at him from his pile of cloth. Huge green eyes stared back at him. "Hey there." Vin said, "What's a lit'le guy like you doin here?" The huge green eyes started to tear up.  
  
"Am I in twouble?" The quivering little voice asked. Vin saw the tears coming and was quick to head off that bit of trouble.  
  
"Course not." Vin said in a calm voice as he went to the pile and unwrapped the little tyke. "Hey," he said, "what's that ya got there?" With a serious expression on his face, the little guy held up a plump mound of fur to him.  
  
"My teddy Pudgy." Vin raised an eyebrow, having never have heard of a teddy before.  
  
"Howdy Pudgy." Vin greeted the fur.  
  
Ezra giggled at the dusty man. "Pudgy not lookin at you." Ezra declared. "You talk to Pudgy's bottom." He squealed with laughter again. Vin smiled, thinking the kid's laugh kinda gets to ya, when Ezra turned his teddy over and he looked at this teddy. It had a huge body, well not huge but its body was bigger then its head, arms, and legs. Its beady eyes stared at him with arms outstretched. Vin couldn't decide if it's askin for a hug or its arms and legs were permanently in that position cuz of its large body. Tiny fury earns were on its head and on the rump that was in his direction, was a tiny little tail.  
  
"Howdy. So whatcha doin here lit'le guy?" Vin asked.  
  
Ezra tears up again. "Mamma gone!" His sadness hit him and he stared crying, snuggling his teddy close to him. Vin was panicking. He didn't know what to do with a crying baby. Thinking fast, he figured the other guys'll know and scooped little Ezra up into his arms, teddy and nightgown (he didn't change when he went off to find his mama) and all, and almost ran to the Saloon.  
  
* * * *  
  
"Chriss!!! Ya gotta help me!" Was all Chris registered as Vin ran in and plopped a crying toddler into his lap.  
  
"Vin!" He gave him the Larabee glare even as he held the crying boy closer. The glare just cried 'tell me everything or your gonna die' and Vin did. By the time Vin finished talking, Ezra had stopped crying. Mamma says he has to be a man and mens don't cry. Ezra felt a little ache in his heart as he thought about his mamma…Why mamma go 'way? Ezra snuggled closer to the black clothed man, feeling safe…daddy.  
  
"What's yer name kid?" asked Chris at the little boy in his lap.  
  
"I's Ezwa." Ezra stated proudly. "Ezwa P. Dandish."  
  
"That's a big name fer a small tyke. I'm Chris and that is Vin." Ezra was proud someone liked his name. Some of his mommy's fwiend's kids says he was weird.  
  
"Lookie!" Ezra shoved his teddy's paw into Chris's face. "My's name!" Chris looked close at the furry critter's paw and finally, after lotsa hard looking, saw it. In emerald thread, stitched into the paw was the words PROPERTY OF EZRA P. STANDISH.  
  
"So your names Ezra P. Standish?" Vin asked.  
  
Ezra giggled, "That what I say! Ezwa P. Dandish!"  
  
"Do ya know whatcha ma's name is?" Vin asked and immediately regretted it as the green eyes stared to water again.  
  
"Mamma's mamma." Ezwa started to cry again, remembering his hurt. Chris glared at Vin as Ezra used him as a hanky.  
  
"Vin…" Chris said in a very controlled voice, "Go and ask around for a Standish and tell her we got her kid."  
  
* * * *  
  
"WHAT!!!" yelled Chris, scaring little Ezra, who was still clinging to him. Vin prudently took him and went outside. Buck had just told them that the woman who was Ezra's ma left without him. He'd been worried and had asked around already. No one remembered the little toddler getting on the carriage with his ma and now he knew why. Ezra had been so happy when he saw the 'man who safe Ezwa from monsters' and had immediately introduced Buck to his 'teddy'.  
  
Chris couldn't believe it. He had his child taken from him and couldn't think of anyone who would abandone their own children like that. "What are we gonna do with the kid? We can't keep 'im."  
  
"I don't know Chris…he's kinda cute." Chris glared at him.  
  
"Buck! He's not a puppy. You don't know a thing about caring for kids!"  
  
"But I do Chris…and so do you, Nathan, and Josiah. We've been around younguns." A burst of giggles distracted them and they turned and looked as Vin played with Ezra…making funny faces at each other. Well…maybe they can take care of 'im. For a while that is.  
  
The end for now… 


	4. on the roof

Little Ezra had been in Four Corners and the responsibility of the six lawmen for a month now and he has made his little impression on all of them…Although Chris wouldn't show it. To him Ezra would leave soon, as soon as Judge Travis comes he would be put in a good home. Besides, what do they know 'bout being parents? The guilt of his own families death rose its ugly head to haunt him, guilt that caused him to keep the little green eyed boy at arms length.  
  
The said little boy was currently sitting in a chair outside of the jail, hugging his teddy, sucking his thumb, and looking around, wondering where his playmate Vin was. His Daddy Chwis was in the drinky place, Unca Buck was on patrol, Unca 'siah was in the church, Unca Nafen went ta take care a lady, and JD was right inside but he couldn't see Vin anywhere.  
  
The little guy sat there, sucking his thumb some more as he thought. Hmmm. His little analytical mind worked fast. Ezra had look everywhere and saw no Vin but saw Vin's horsey. That left only one place left to look in Ezra's mind…the roof. He got offa the chair and went out to look up. "Wow." He said. Then he noticed how close the window on top was to the roof and he went into the drinky place, sneaked along the walls of the busy establishment and went up the stairs and into one of the unoccupied room. It wasn't that hard for a small boy who was use to such places from traveling with his mother.  
  
Little Ezra looked out of the window and saw that he needed two hands and he looked at his teddy then took out a rope and tied it around his teddy's middle then tied his teddy to his pants. Yay! Adventure time!  
  
Around the time that Ezra had entered the room, JD had come out of the jail, wanting to know if Ezra wanted a snack and found the empty chair. JD decided to go into the Saloon and see if Ez was with Chris since Vin's disappeared for some quiet time. He would do that occasionally and no one knew where he went. For some reason, Ez was always following Chris, Vin, or Buck around.  
  
Ezra had managed to get onto the roof with a jump, hanging by his little hands, and squirming his way up…he stood on the edge of the window, getting on said edge with a chair. "Wow," Ezra said as he looked down, "I's can see everyting!" He squealed with delight as he caught sight of Vin…sitting on a roof several buildings away and writing in his book. Ezra went to the edges of the roof and leaped to the next one, nearly loosing his footing. "Fun!" Ezra declared as he leaped his way to Vin.  
  
On the ground, JD, Chris, and Josiah were panicking and looking everywhere for their tiny ward. "JD! How could you lose him!"  
  
"I don't know." JD answered miserable.  
  
"That boy better be all right cuz when I get my hands on him…" Chris growled. They split up to search the town.  
  
Vin sat on his favorite roof, writing down all those words, poems, he got in his head, never suspecting that the tracker was being hunted by a tiny little person and his fuzzy companion. He creeps up on his prey, taking little steps, well crawls, and getting close to his Vin and with a yell that almost had Vin leaping three feet into the air, the predator leaps and lands right on Vin's stomach.  
  
"Oof!" Vin wheezed, then noticed who was sitting on his stomach. "Ez! Whatcha doin here. Ya coulda gotten hurt!" Ezra giggled at him instead.  
  
"Wanna find you Vin! Its fun! I's sees everyting! Hopping fun too!" was declared.  
  
"Ummm…Hopping? Ez! Where ya come from?"  
  
All innocent Ezra pointed to a roof several buildings away and Vin turned pale at the thought of Ez jumping around up here and of what the others were gonna say. As if they sensed this thought the cry of 'EZRA' could be heard from down on the street. "Aw hell." Vin muttered. He couldn't keep Ezra from crawling to the edge and waving, yelling down, "Daddy Chwis! Me's up here!"  
  
The gunslingers looked up and almost had a heart attack at the sight of the little boy teetering on the edge of the roof, almost falling before a arm grabbed him and pulling him further onto the roof. "Um…Hiya cowboy."  
  
The vein could be seen throbbing on Chris's head. "GET YOUR ASS DOWN HERE NOW!!!" Vin, seeing the look on Chris's face, didn't wanna get down. He wasn't the suicidal type but…well, if he kept Ez close then Chris wouldn't kill him in fronta the kid. So keeping a tight hold on Ez, Vin made his way down. Chris's vein was still throbbing. "What were you thinking?" was hissed out at Vin and Vin tightened his hold on Ez, making him squeak with surprise.  
  
Ezra was wondering what the fuss was about but quickly deduced that Vin needed Ezra to be what teddy was to Ezra, so he allowed himself to be squished. Daddy Chwis was mad at Vin though. "I's go up all by myself!" Ezra declared happily, breaking into Chris's words. They all turned and looked at the beamingly happy Ezra and at the furball who was tied to his pants.  
  
"Why?" Chris demanded. Ezra gave him a look as if to say he was missing the obvious.  
  
"I's look for Vin! Vin on woof!" Chris continued to glare and Ezra got teary eyed. "I did bad?" and that automatically hit the spot that made all of them melt and they rushed to reassure the little guy.  
  
"Course not Ez." JD said. "Just don't do that no more."  
  
"Vin…" Chris stated.  
  
"Yeah cowboy?"  
  
"You are now banned from the roofs."  
  
"Awww man! Ya don't mean that do ya?" Vin pleaded. 


	5. the birds and the bees

Disclaimer: I don't own them. I'm making no money! Don't sue me. I'm poor.  
  
* * *  
  
Ezra woke to a sharp noise and, pushing the blankets away from his body, looked down and saw a bump on his tummy. AWWWW! There was something in his tummy! Waaaaa! Monster! Little whimpers of fright escaped him. He poked at it then realized that it was just his teddy that somehow got shoved up his nightgown. Ezra took the stuff animal outa his clothing.  
  
Lightning flashed and thunder growled and when the bit of noise was over, Ezra was hiding under his bed with his teddy clenched tightly to himself. He didn't wanna be here by himself but he promise to be brave. Daddy Chwis and Vin went patrol and gonna come back later. "Ezwa'll be bwave!" was the fierce whisper in the dark room.  
  
The heavy sky again broke apart with light and noise, overwhelming a certain green-eyed boy. "Let's go to Unca Buck! I's pwotect you Pudgy."  
  
So hugging his teddy, in a little nightgown, and wearing little down filled moccasins on his feet to keep them warm, Vin made them for him and he was so happy, he made his way down the scary hallway on the second floor of the Saloon. Ezra didn't know why Buck didn't wanna share a room but Buck says he's got business too and Ezra wonder if business is over for Buck. Lightning and thunder took the little boy unawares and that soon brought the argument in his mind over bother Buck to rest. With a squeak, Ezra ran the rest of the way to Buck's room. The shadows were moving and they frighten Ezra, who thought they were monsters coming to grab him.  
  
Ezra knocked softly on the door but heard strange noises inside Unca Buck's room. His already large green eyes widened further. Opening the door slowly, Ezra looked at the bed and saw a giant shape thrashing. "Waaaaaaaaa! MONSTER!" Ezra was frozen on the spot and when the words left him, he was sure that whatever had ate his Unca Buck was gonna finish him off.  
  
The large lump uttered a little scream too and a muffled "Ezra" could be heard. This was not good. The monster knew his name. "I's save you Unca Buck." Ezra grabbed something and started to whack at the lump.  
  
A naked women slipped out of the piled of blankets and huffily took Buck's robe and threw it on. "See me next time without the kid Buck." She turned and walked outa the room, imagine having been walked in on by a kid and then hit!  
  
Buck's rumpled head appeared also and he quickly snatched some pants and put them on. Ezra just looked on. "Unca Buck?" was the innocent question.  
  
"What li'tle pard? Whatcha doin here for?"  
  
"Scared Unca Buck. Why ya and lady nudie?" He stared at him.  
  
"Nudie?"  
  
Ezra nodded his head. "Mamma had fwiend wif paintin of people wif no cloths. They say it's a nudie."  
  
"Oh, nude." Large innocent green eyes looked at him inquisitively. "Why ya scared?" Buck asked trying to steer the conversation away from that topic.  
  
"It loud and there's monsters." Mournful eyes stared at Buck. "Why's you and lady nudie? Do you do that wif Daddy Chwis and Vin? Why I not sees then? No like Ezwa?" Lightning flashed and thunder sounded again. Ezra screamed and jumped into bed with his Unca Buck. He feels safer with his Unca. "Unca Buck. Why's was you and the lady nudie?"  
  
"Well Umm…do you know 'bout the birds and the bees Ez?"  
  
"Bees hurt you and birdies make stuff dirty."  
  
"Yeah well, a man's like a bee and a women's like a bird and well the bee stings the bird to make something or have a bit of fun…ya get it?" Ezra shook his head. "Well when a man stings a women, she's gotta…they get naked. Then if she's stung real good…" He looks at too innocent eyes stared at him. "Um…the stork is then told. Them's big birds the storks and it brings a baby to the women who was stung good."  
  
Ezra puzzled it out and nodded that he understood. Buck was just too happy that the explanation was over and cuddled Ezra in the next explosion of sound and light.  
  
* * * *  
  
Ezra was wide awake and waiting for his Daddy Chwis and Vin to come back. His little feet encased in moccasins were nice and toasty and Unca Buck was like a big doggie that snore beside him.  
  
The door to Buck's room was burst wide open with the two people Ezra was waiting for. They were about to yell that Ezra was missing when they caught sight of him on the bed. He threw himself outa the bed with a sleeping Buck and said excitedly to Vin. "I's had adventer. I sees Unca Buck and a lady nudie! Unca Buck says he was like a bee and stinging a lady and says the stork'll come wif a baby for Unca Buck!" Ezra squealed out. "I's gonna have a little fwiend and teddy too!" Ezra had come to this conclusion from Buck's talk last night and was happy to share the fact that he was gonna have a friend to play with.  
  
Chris and Vin however were both shocked still after Ezra had uttered that he saw Buck and a woman naked. Chris's roar threw Buck outa his very nice dream. "WHAT! BUCK! GET YOUR ASS OUTA BED AND EXPLAIN THIS NOW!"  
  
End of this part  
  
* * *  
  
authors note: I just couldn't help but write this…what with Buck's animal magnetism and all. 


End file.
